A girl named Ursula relives her life over and over again, dying at different points and ages and always being reborn on the same day in 1910. She lives through two World Wars and has countless amazing experiences, all leading up to her figuring out her purpose, the reason she keeps living again.

I crazy loved this book. I couldn’t stop reading it, and when it was over, I couldn’t stop talking about it. It’s compelling, well-paced, and absolutely mesmerizing. If you’re on the fence about reading it, just get through the first quarter of the book. It takes a little while to get into the groove of it and even understand what’s happening. But believe me, it’s worth it.

This book is told from a dog’s perspective. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really into it when it was suggested, but I read it because that’s what a good book clubber does.

It turned out to be one of my all-time favorite books. The dog is owned by a race car driver and he follows this man, very loyally, through all the twists and crazy turns life throws him. It was unexpected and surprisingly poignant and so real it was profound.

This girl Melissa has problems saying no and being assertive in real life. She needs a job and after almost getting sucked into a high-society escort service, she creates a character, Honey, who basically trains men and helps them with life, since she’s so good at giving advice and organizing things and knows literally everyone.

There are 3 books in this series and it is positively delightful! It’s funny, heartwarming, and relatable all at once. The ending was also a bit of a guessing game, which is hard to find in a comedic series. It never goes behind locked doors and is told in first person, and while it’s limiting in some ways, it’s also very freeing in others.

I love this series and will be revisiting it for sure. It’s great for the quick/light read list.

This cannot be explained, it’s that weird and confusing. There’s a circus. It’s open at night. It’s only in black and white. It goes on forever. I don’t really understand it.

This is one of those books that will have you talking for weeks and confused even longer. I still don’t really know what happened at the end. It makes a great club read and we all loved it, but it definitely keeps you on your toes. I recommend reading it without hesitation. And if you figure it out, send me a message, please.

Everything this woman writes is magic. This book is inspiring and fascinating and scary all at once. Read it.

In the world of fan fiction, I read a few new titles this year, both on the boards and the bookshelves. These are the ones I particularly enjoyed. (Because I am a fanfiction writer myself, I want to be clear that no one asked me to write any of this and that these are not formal reviews, just books I liked. If it’s not included, it means nothing. I probably didn’t read it or for whatever reason it wasn’t in my top faves. I most likely forgot about it, so please don’t get offended.)

These were not necessarily done in 2015, that’s just when I read them.

This was completely out of left field for me. I knew nothing about it going in, but I was delighted all the way through. A mix of naughtiness, intrigue, romance, and pure crazy, this is definitely worth the read.

I normally don’t do modern JAFF, but this was so FUN! I am not into dogs, I’m not into any pets really (3 kids is enough!), but this was incredibly entertaining! The chemistry was great, the story was engaging, and the characters were on point. If you haven’t checked it out yet, get on it!

This is so imaginative and from such a new perspective. It’s very much worth the read. It’s both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

On the Boards

Brief Encounters and Ghosts in the Attic by SaraPencil over at Austen Underground.

They are both good, and I particularly enjoyed Ghosts in the Attic. I won’t spoil it for you, just go read it! Brief Encounters has some GREAT banter, and everyone knows banter is my absolute most favorite thing.

The Third Nephew by Shelby at Austen Interlude

It’s a bit dark, so be prepared. I wouldn’t recommend it for young readers, but for psychological thrills and angst, it’s worth a look.

A Literary Courtship by LucyQ at A Happy Assembly

This is one of my new favorite authors. This story is VERY well-written, and so, so lovely. I loved their interactions, the backstory and subsequent unveiling of Darcy’s character, and the way the physical intimacy that a new marriage brings increased the emotional trust and intimacy. I can’t say enough good things.

A Lady’s Reputation by Alex9903 at A Happy Assembly

A comedy of errors that had me cringing and laughing. A fun, wily, romp that makes a boring afternoon waiting to pick up kids a lot more interesting.

I don’t know how I missed this for so long, but I finally read it and Oh. My. Word. I sobbed and blushed and hoped and cringed and sobbed again. Amazing tale of the life of D & E through the eyes of her maid. I dare you not to cry.

I love this so much. I’ve read it at least three times so far. There’s just something about it that stays with me. I can’t put my finger on it, and I don’t normally like paranormal stuff, but this one…

Jump in with thoughts or book suggestions for 2016. I’d love to hear from you!

Hi, Elizabeth! I just stumbled across your site and can’t tell you how much your kind words mean to me. Thank you!!!!

A Literary Courtship was purely a personal exercise for me so the fact that a lot of readers, and incredible writers like yourself, appreciated my efforts makes me very, very happy. Just to let you know, I’m attempting a revision/slight expansion of it, and then I’ll re-post the expanded version in its entirety at AHA and possibly another site that is open to the public.

Happy New Year’s Eve, Elizabeth! I thought I’d let you and your readers know that I’ve started posting the revised/expanded A Literary Courtship on Archive of Our Own. It’s still a WIP, but 19 out of 23 chapters of the new version are done. Thank you so much for your kind words and interest!

Thanks for your reading list. As I read over it I was happy to see that I had read Unleashing Mr. Darcy…I posted a review on Amazon last December. I loved it. It was so cute and although not canon, it was delightful. Did you notice a nod to the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances in the naming of the dogs…Violet, Hyacinth, Daisy and Rose. Thanks for all your information.

Dark chocolate AND red wine, definitely both 😀 Thanks ever so much for the lovely mention and for the ever so kind words, Elizabeth! I just saw this today, when I got back from getting wet in Devon. Hope you enjoyed the holidays and wishing you all the very best for 2016! Hugs and Happy New Year!

Mostly I read mysteries (cozy and historical). I just looked at The Night Circus on Amazon but I just can’t read books written in the present tense (“he says” instead of “he said”), so I won’t be reading The Hunger Games (but I’ve seen some of the movies). I just think it’s weird when writers write like that. It seems to be a new thing and maybe a little more popular for Y.A. books.

I find that weird, too. Most first-person books are written like that, I suppose to keep you in the moment. I don’t even remember that about the Night Circus… I wonder if it’s that way throughout. It has a few major shifts that could cause that to change. If you can get past it, I highly recommend it, especially if you’re into mysteries. It’s certainly very mysterious!

How lovely to see recommendations for forum fanfiction. I haven’t had much reading time in the last year and I have so many published books in the TBR that I don’t look on the forums much these days but I know there are some fantastic stories there, some of which will never be published 🙁 I will have to try and check out some of your recommendations.

Thanks Elizabeth for giving the authors and forums a plug with your favorites. Being a moderator on DarcyandLizzy.com I am partial to the forums. In addition to reading many published books throughout this past year, I enjoyed reading stories on Darcyand Lizzy. AHA, Beyond Austen, Austen Underground, Bloom and Quill, DWG and FFN. That being said I would like to give a shout our to the Austen Authors who posted with on D&L during 2015. They include: Lennie Brown, Rose Faribanks, Jeanna Elsworth-Lake, Melanie Schertz,Barbara Silkstone, Elizabeth Ann West and of course our own Brenda Webb. With so many authors going straight to publishing now days, I cannot begin to say how grateful the readers and forum moderators are to those authors who continue to share their stories on this venue. Not only do the authors get immediate feedback from the folks who comment, but we as readers get to show our immediate appreciation by sharing out thoughts. Many thanks to authors, published and non-published who continue to satisfy our JAFF addiction with their creativity. Jen Red

I am also grateful for the ability to read and post in forums. I love reading other writers’ work and it’s great to have somewhere to post short stories or those that will never be published, or even post pre-publishing to get feedback. I have a soft spot for forums myself. 🙂

I have read all the books listed as Published Books but none of the “on the board” books…although I am reading some there now. But could you give links to any of those sites? I am subscribed to DarcyandLizzy.com but not the others.

I can’t give links to member sites. It would just redirect you to sign up. Most can approve you within a couple days, some just a few ours, and then you have access to all sorts of great stuff. I strongly recommend A Happy Assembly and Austen Underground in addition to Darcy and Lizzy where you are already a member. Derbyshire Writer’s Guild does not require membership to read, so you’re in luck there. I’m adding links to those two stories in the post now. 🙂

Great! I have a ton of story’s at AHA – it’s my main stomping ground. One of my favorite authors over there is Ruth O. She hasn’t put anyting out in a while, but her stories are all available in the Meryton Reading Room.
I’ve just added links to the 2 stories at Derbyshire Writer’s Guild.
Happy reading!

When I publish fanfic, it’s under Elizabeth Adams as you see here. On the boards, Fanfiction.com, A Happy Assembly, and Darcy and Lizzy, I post under EAdams. You can find me under that handle on the JAFF index. If you’re not using it yet, it really is a tremendous resource. You can get login info in the FAQ section of one of the forums.

Thanks for letting me know. Right now I am trying to read through one by Linda Wells,one by Lucy S,one by Suzan Lauder plus one by Rose Fairbanks and another by Brenda Webb Bigbee. The former two are completed works but are so long! The latter three I am sent new posts, usually weekly. So I am not going to open a new story presently but I did copy your info and saved it so that I have it handy when I have time for a new one. Oh, and besides all those WIPs I am reading P&P and Zombies in anticipation of the movie…not my usual tastes but always like to read books on which movies are based.

Thanks for the list. I read Lawanda Blackwell’s “Tales Of London” Book 1, “Killing Patton” By Bill O’Reilly[very enlightening]. I am going to start book2 in the aforementioned Lawanda Blackwell series. I also read lots of magazines in 2015.
Wishing you and yours a Happy,Healthy New Year full of blessings.
Marilyn

Hi Elizabeth, thanks for the correction about “The Third Nephew”. Still, since it’s not currently available on that website anymore, would you be able to provide the link to where you got it, for other readers? I don’t think everyone knows how to find stories with that method.

Happy to hear your thoughts, Elizabeth. Several I have read and loved much! Others I definitely want to read. I will be visiting AHA and DWG too! You have my interest piqued! Thanks and Happy New Year!

Oh my, what a list to be on! Thank you!! Nothing feels better than being recognized by a fellow author. I’m truly touched. I, too, enjoyed Brief Encounters and Ghosts in the Attic. I read Nature of the Beast a couple of years ago. Like you, I don’t usually go for paranormal reads, but it is so good. By far, it is the best paranormal JAFF I have read. Have you read A Touch of Night? My oldest asked me once if there had ever been a dragon Darcy. I was thrilled to be able to say yes. It’s good, too, and still on the boards somewhere, I think. Thank you, again. I’m going to be on a high all day. 🙂

You’re welcome, Pamela! I have read A Touch of Night. It’s another good one. I REALLY love The Darcy Madness, but I technically read it last year (though I probably re-read it this year) and I haven’t read the published version, so I hesitated to put it here.

There is something about Nature of the Beast. Maybe it’s the desire for iron self-control mixed with the absolute inability to control anything? I don’t know – I just love it!

Ohhhh! I love this blog! Amazon may very well get some business today! I have heard of a few of them but many of them are new to me! I can’t wait to read them! I think one of the things I love the most is getting recommendations of books to read from fellow authors because I feel like not only do they love to read too, but they know good writing and tend to be discriminate in what they recommend since people will judge their writing a bit on what they think of others!

Wow! To have my oddly macabre rom-com included in such august company is truly an honor. Overall, I think this was a wonderful year for JAFF. I read so many great stories—a couple by a new author who posts as “putitbriefly”. She posted Bruises on AHA, and I understand it will be published in 2016. It will publish under a different name…I would have assumed from the title it was a modern that included spousal abuse (which I would not read), but be assured it is Regency and takes an amazing look and the Darcy/Elizabeth marriage 10 years in—very Romantic! Anyway, thanks so much, everyone for a great 2015!

You’re welcome, Linda! I’ve read Bruises and I think something else by that author. It is a good story, even though regency medicine gets on my nerves. Darcy is, of course, devastatingly devoted. Isn’t it funny how the older we get, the more we appreciate a devoted man and worry less about charm and style? I almost said looks, but I still love a good head of hair, shallow creature that I am.

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